Simon's Pain
by Pokemon Ranger-Trainer
Summary: Sequel to Jeanette's Protector. With Theodore and Eleanor kidnapped by the Vipers, Simon isn't sure what to do. He has three broken ribs and little information on the enemy. Luckily, Jeanette is by his side, along with, of course, Alvin and Brittany. SxJ
1. Released from the Hospital

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Chipmunks, Chipettes, Dave, Claire, Ian, or Selena Gomez. You know how this works. Sequel to Jeanette's Protector. Based on the movies, not the cartoons.**

**Chapter 1: Released from the Hospital**

Simon was sitting in a hospital bed. It had been three days since the incident. The incident was a Viper agent breaking three of his ribs and kidnapping his brother, Theodore, along with his girlfriend's sister, Eleanor. He clenched his fists.

"What's wrong, Simon?" his girlfriend, Jeanette, the most perfect Chipette he'd ever laid eyes on asked.

"I'm just thinking about what happened. I feel helpless, Jeanette! My brother and your sister are in danger, and I'm stuck in the hospital! It's only been a few days, yet it feels like an eternity!" Simon griped. When he stopped to breathe, Jeanette lurched forward and kissed him on the lips.

"Is that any better, my hero?" she asked.

"Yeah," Simon admitted, "But I'm no hero."

"You saved my life, Simon. If it wasn't for you, I'd be in that hospital bed…or worse! You are the sweetest, smartest, handsomest, most incredible Chipmunk I have ever met. Don't ever sell yourself short, because I respect you and…I love you."

"I l-love you, too," Simon admitted. He then panicked. "Was that too awkward?"

"Am I running away?" she asked and kissed him again.

"No, and please don't ever."

"I won't."

"Mr. Seville? We're letting you go tomorrow," a nurse said and walked down the hall.

"Oh, finally!" Simon said. "I can't wait to go home. I also can't wait to…finally begin our spy training. I want to rescue Theodore and Eleanor so much!"

"We all do. I just don't get why the Vipers would take them," Jeanette replied.

"They'll get theirs," Simon assured. Jeanette placed her hand over his fists.

"Don't get angry, Simon. I don't like it when you're stressed," she begged.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It's understandable. It's just not…you. And it's _you_ that I love. Not angry you, not your alter ego, Simone."

"Thank you, Jeanette," Simon sniffled.

"Oh, come here," she said and bent over to hug him. She gently embraced him, being careful of his chest, where his broken ribs obviously were. Suddenly, he pulled her close, feeling a soothing sensation from Jeanette's touch, both emotionally and physically. They broke the hug moments later.

"Thanks. I needed that. Do you want to read together?" Simon asked.

"I guess you did," she giggled. "We finished _Romeo and Juliet_? Now what do you want to read?"

"How about my math text book?" Alvin barged in with a giant (by chipmunk standards) book. Simon gave him a funny look.

"Your math text book says 'English' on the cover," he stated. Alvin looked at the cover and cursed.

"I'll be right back!"

"Let's pretend we're asleep so we don't have to help him!"

"Good idea!" Jeanette nodded. They were both lying down in seconds, eyes closed.

"I brought the right book!" Alvin dragged the math book in. He saw Jeanette and Simon lying on the bed. "Oh, crud! Did they both take Benadryl or something?"

The rest of the day flew by. Tomorrow came. Simon woke up and saw the Jeanette spent the night with him. She looked so peaceful while she was sleeping. He kissed her forehead and stroked her brunette curls with his fingers. He, over the past week or so, began to realize that she meant everything to him. It all started when he developed the need to protect Jeanette after she was cut with a scalpel.

"Mr. Seville, your legal guardian is here for you and your little girlfriend there," a nurse said with a smile.

"Hey, Simon," Dave greeted. Simon smiled because he was finally going home.

Several minutes later, in Dave's car, they were on their way home.

"How do you feel?" Dave asked.

"Better, now that I'm out of there," Simon answered. "How are things at home?"

"You'll see…"

When they got home, Simon was greeted with a surprise welcome home party. Claire, Alvin, Brittany, and his and Jeanette's best friends from the school paper, Cheyenne and Mark, were there.

"Thanks, you guys," Simon thanked. Tears were in his eyes. He felt so loved.


	2. Training

**Chapter 2: Training**

Soon after Simon got settled back in, someone who they weren't expecting showed up: Selena Gomez.

"Hey, guys," she greeted. She put a bag next to the couch Simon was sitting on. "I got you a glad-you're-out-of-the-hospital gift."

Simon climbed into the bag, gasped, and emerged, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He pulled out what looked like a notebook. "Thanks for the journal, Selena!"

"You're welcome. Now, you can write about your adventures. I, um, also brought a resourceful someone who you may or may not enjoy seeing."

Everyone was expecting to see this person less. Jeanette's heart sank. It was her captor from when they were stuck on an island: Zoe.

"Hello?" Zoe greeted, sounding a bit hesitant. She noticed Jeanette timidly back away. "I see you do remember me. I truly am sorry about the whole volcano thing. And this looks better on you than me." Zoe took off the gold bracelet around her wrist. Jeanette, on the island, had worn it as a tiara before giving it to Zoe.

"You're giving me this?" Jeanette asked with wide eyes.

"Call it 'paying what I owe'."

"Thank you."

"Zoe has agreed to help against the Vipers," Selena announced.

"I hold a grudge against them," Zoe stated.

"Great! We do, too," Brittany said.

"They took Theodore and Eleanor," Alvin explained. He clenched his fists and turned away. He then muttered, "I'll kill them. I'll kill them all."

"Don't you think that's a little violent?" Brittany asked.

"You're one to talk."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, boy!" Claire exclaimed.

"I'm glad I have insurance," Dave stated.

"You guys, stop! Tonight is about Simon coming home from the hospital!" Jeanette spoke up.

"Speaking of which, Simon, are you sure you want to start your training tomorrow? Broken ribs are easy to reinjure," Selena asked.

"I know, and I don't care. While I may sound impatient, Theodore and Eleanor aren't getting into any less danger, so I'd like to learn how to save them as soon as possible," Simon declared.

"No wonder people on the publications staff want you and Jeanette to be co-editors-in-chief next year," Mark remarked.

"But we'll only be juniors next year," Jeanette pointed out.

"So? Not even most of the seniors are as detailed and literate as you guys," Cheyenne pointed out.

"I wouldn't take it that far."

"Me neither," Simon added.

"Well, you should!" Cheyenne insisted.

The rest of the night went over pretty well. Cheyenne and Mark went home, followed by Zoe and Selena. Hours later, in bed, Simon heard what sounded like crying. Both the girls appeared to be asleep, which only left…

"Alvin?" Simon whispered as he climbed to the top bunk of the boys' triple bunk bed. Theodore was usually at the bottom; Simon's was in the middle, and Alvin slept on top.

"What?" Alvin sobbed quietly.

"Are you…crying?"

"Go ahead. Make fun. I don't care!"

"I wasn't making fun, it's just…I've never seen you cry before."

"Simon, I've cried myself to sleep every night since Theo was taken away a-and you were in the hospital."

"You have? I can't believe it. You never cry. We must have been babies the last time you shed a tear."

"I-I guess that's what happens when your one brother is kidnapped and the other gets badly hurt."

The next morning came. Simon and Alvin didn't breathe a word of their conversation last night. Everyone ate a quick breakfast, and the two Chipmunks and two Chipettes were driven to a warehouse where Selena said their first day of spy training would begin.

At the warehouse, there were combat courses, exercise machines, weapon tutorials, and a thing called 'Tech & How to Use It'.

"Ah, you must be Alvin and Simon Seville, and Brittany and Jeanette Miller. Welcome to our training site, part of the Super International Police warehouse training site chain," a man in gray robes greeted.

"Super International Police?" Simon repeated.

"Actually, in recent years, we have reached an inter-dimensional scale, but I like 'international' better," the man explained.

"Inter-dimensional? You mean you're stationed in different dimensions? That's just nuts!" Jeanette exclaimed.

"Right now, it's unimportant. Banish the thought from your minds. Begin training! There are instructors at each station!" the man instructed. To the four chipmunks' surprise, there were other rodents. Mice, squirrels, guinea pigs, and even other chipmunks, including Cheyenne and Mark.

"Whoa," Alvin said in awe.

"Hey, guys," Cheyenne greeted.

Simon tried to enter the combat area, but was stopped by an instructor. So, he and Jeanette went over to the tech training area. Later, after the weapons tutorial, he befriended a ferret who was put in the world to shoot things. He didn't use the exercise machines because of what the doctor told him. To be specific, the doctor told him not to put strain on his muscles, meaning try to avoid weight lifting of the torso.

"Wow! You can learn so much here in so little time!" Jeanette exclaimed.

"Yeah," Simon said glumly.

"What's wrong?"

"Jeanette, I'll be honest with you. They probably think that I have a disability. I broke three of my ribs, not my arms or legs. I just want to learn martial arts."

"Yeah, that stinks, man. Though, I think it only stinks because they care," the sharp shooting ferret said.

"I'm not trying to spar or anything," Simon continued.

"I think they'll reconsider," Jeanette assured and rubbed his arm.

"You want to learn martial arts?" the man with the gray robes appeared out of nowhere and asked. "I teach you!"

The man taught a two hour lesson consisting of karate, tae kwon do, and kung fu.

"You have done well, pupil," the man said and bowed.

"Thank you," Simon politely thanked and bowed back.


	3. In the Hands of the Vipers

**Chapter 3: In the Hands of the Vipers**

Theodore and Eleanor were both in a jail cell, only with no bars, an elevated slot for food to come in, and rock-hard cots to sleep on. There was also a speaker.

"Why can't we go home?" Eleanor asked, staring at each wall.

"Because, my dear girl, we don't want you to. We are going to ask you some questions," someone said. His/her indistinct voice came out of the speaker.

"When Dave gets here, you're going to—," Theodore started to say.

"Dave doesn't even know what time zone you're in, and neither do you," the voice pointed out.

"Why are we here? Let us go!" Eleanor begged.

"And let such _tender _game get away," another voice hissed. A serpent slithered through the food slot. "My, you both would make a satisfying meal. And to think that you once thought that humans and rodents were the only sentient beings capable of speech." Theodore and Eleanor backed away timidly. Their hearts raced as one. Their lives flashed before their eyes, and there wasn't much to see beyond that very point where they stood.

"Hernando, cease! We haven't exploited them to their full use as hostages!" the voice over the speaker ordered.

"Very well. Just keep in mind how hungry I get if they try to escape, not that they have a chance at succeeding," the snake obeyed. "The plump ones taste best when they're frightened." He slithered out via the food slot.

"That was close," Theodore remarked. His heart was still racing faster than a flaming horse on a rocket.

"I'm still scared! What is that viper comes back?" Eleanor asked. She curled up in a corner of the cell.

"I don't know," Theodore responded honestly. He then prayed, "Dave, Alvin, Simon, everyone, please come save us soon."

Hours passed, and the more the two chipmunks thought about the situation they were in, the less sure they were that they were even on planet Earth anymore.

They dozed off, and Theodore began having a nightmare. It went like this:

"_Dave? Ellie? Anyone?" Theodore called. He was standing in pitch black darkness; unable to know if up was up and down was down. There was a light ahead, and he ran toward it. He found it was a spotlight. Dave and Claire sat there unconscious with bite marks on their wrists. The snake from before, Hernando, seemed to smirk as he had five big bumps in his stomach area. "No! It can't be!"_

"_Oh, it is, my little friend, and you're next!" Hernando lashed out._

"_AAAH!"_

"AAH!" Theodore screamed as he sat upward.

"Theodore? What's wrong?" Eleanor asked.

"I had the most awful nightmare. It made all of my other nightmares seem like good dreams."

"What happened?"

"That snake had poisoned Dave and Claire and…eaten you and the others. Then, he ate me, and I woke up."

"Well, thank goodness it was only a dream. Breakfast came, but I'm not sure you want to eat it," she informed him. She pointed directly under the food slot.

Theodore looked to Eleanor was pointing. On the floor was a tray of brown slop. He approached it, smelled it, and regretted smelling it.

"Is it even food?" he asked.

"I found a Band-Aid in it," she said, "And chewed gum."

"I think I see a tooth in here."

"That is just plain gross!"

"I know! For once, I'm skipping breakfast. At least, a few days ago, they gave us something that wouldn't kill us!"

"I did try to tell them to feed you quality grub, but they would not have it," Hernando's voice came form the other side of the cell wall. A new feeling was welling up inside Theodore.

"Well, we're starving ourselves!" he yelled. He turned to Eleanor, "I think that once they're done with whatever they're going to do with us, we're snake food, and I don't want to be eaten."

"Either way, we'll die, Theodore!" Eleanor objected. "I'm not ready for that."

"You're not going to starve. You'll have to eat eventually. Otherwise, you might wind up eating each other," Hernando pointed out.

"I don't want to be a cannibal!" Eleanor whined.

"Me neither! But that doesn't mean we're eating that slop!" Theodore agreed. He looked at Eleanor with pleading eyes.

"Uh, yeah, because we're…on a diet! Yeah, we're on a diet, and brown slop has way over a hundred calories!" Eleanor thought fast. Saying that made her feel like Brittany, but it's not like she wasn't going to lose a few ounces in the rat hole they were in. By that, it is meant that they freaked out when they found rat skeletons the day after they were kidnapped.


	4. Zoe's Story & the Vipers' Message

**Chapter 4: Zoe's Story & the Vipers' Message **

The next day, at the warehouse, Zoe accompanied the chipmunks to clarify her grudge against the Vipers. In fact, she was going to give a speech to all the trainees, raising awareness of the threat.

"Some of you might have heard that I thirst for vengeance against the Vipers. Just remember, nobody is a castaway of their own free will. I had been stranded on an island for several years. However, before then, I was on a ship. Everything was peaceful on the ship, that is, until someone screamed 'snakes'. Serpents of all kinds slithered across the ship," she spoke.

"Were you thrown overboard?" Alvin asked.

"Yes. I was able to fend off the snakes, but then the human Viper agents appeared. They had attacked me, and they said something about making sure no on getting the treasure from a nearby island. I was thrown off, and when I came to, I was on a sandy white beach. That is when I began my quest."

"Those Vipers. They've been around for a while, but decide to reveal their ugly heads now," Brittany seethed.

"I did steal a cobalt watch from the agent who threw me overboard," Zoe announced and held up a watch.

"Cobalt? For a watch? That's a bit unusual," Jeanette said.

"Must have been used as a good weapon. I found a bunch of different modes and compartments in this thing."

"Like what?" Simon asked.

"It was waterlogged when I woke up on the island, but I found that it once shot lasers. I found a flashlight, a grappling hook, and also a transmitter."

"I wish I had a watch like that," Alvin daydreamed.

"How do you know it was cobalt?" Brittany asked, though she really did not care.

"I tested its physical properties, and then found an engraving that says 'made of cobalt'," Zoe explained. "The point is, whenever you ever encounter a Viper; do not let your guard down for even a split second, because that's all they need to strike."

"I have bad news," the man in the gray robes announced. He held up a cell phone with a snake fang charm. If you looked closely, you could see 'property of the Vipers' carved on the back. "I'll play the voice mail."

The man activated voicemail, and an eerie voice said, "Greetings, Alvin, Simon, Brittany, Jeanette, we thought you might like to know that Theodore and Eleanor are alright…for now. They're at our mercy and their fate is in your hands. Ciao. Oh, and Simon, watch those broken ribs of yours. There are plenty more bones in your body I'd like to break."

"What kind of message is that?" Brittany demanded.

"It's official; they're creepers," the sharpshooting ferret said.

"Simon…," Jeanette put a hand on his arm.

"I'm okay, Jeanette. I just hope the same can truly be said about Theo and Ellie," Simon assured.

"They just don't care who they hurt, do they?" a guinea pig with an exotic accent asked.

"No, and what's worse is that they have hostages. They can use them to bend us around their fingers," a female squirrel replied. Her voice was quiet, and reminded Simon of Jeanette.

"Like a puppet regime," a mouse made a connection.

"No, not quite," Cheyenne remarked.

"They really are snakes!" Mark exclaimed.

"I say, when we kick butt, we burn the butts we kicked! Who's with me?" Alvin tried to start a riot.

"Didn't I just make a speech not to take them lightly? They just sent that message to cloud our judgment with anger! Please! I think some of you are getting too cocky!" Zoe spoke again. "That is the number one mistake when you're against them!"

"A-are they really that horrible?" Jeanette asked shyly. "Do you think they'll hurt my sister or worse?"

"I hate to say it, but yes. Their ultimate goal, I'm guessing, is world domination."

"Don't worry, Jeanette, we'll get them back," Simon assured her, but there was pain in his voice. The pain came from the thought of him and Alvin losing Theodore.

"Thanks, Simon. I always feel better when I know you're with me," she said softly. She snuggled up against him, and he put an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm guessing this is how this 'puppet regime' will know to take action," the man in gray robes said somberly. He held up the cell phone to emphasize that it was the subject of the statement.

"Perhaps, but they could have many methods," Zoe shrugged.

"True as that may be, one thing is for sure: this threat cannot be left unnoticed. We will have to face them, and it is a day that many of us, if not all of us, fear."

"I really hope those kids are okay."

"As do I. But we must worry about here and now. Do not let your mind wander."

"I won't. But you can't help but worry."

"I know," the man in the robes nodded in agreement. "I know. Zoe, you know the Vipers are a serious threat. While I do personally prefer hand-to-hand combat, they don't. If you plan on finding the Viper base, you may need a weapon of some sort, and I have just the thing."

He went to the drawer of a wide desk and pulled out a machete in a scabbard. He held it out to her.

"Thank you, Master," she bowed and gratefully took it. "I wish I had this when I was a castaway. I can already tell that the blade is razor sharp."

"That was then, and this is now. Simon, Jeanette, come see me immediately!"

Simon and Jeanette did as they were told. The gray clad man displayed a case of tiny, chipmunk-sized weapons. A sword had caught Simon's eye. He gasped in awe at the blade. Jeanette, however, thought that a retractable staff would be a better defensive weapon.

"They're all so—I never thought I'd—are you offering us the opportunity to pick a weapon?" Simon stammered and stumbled over words.

"Yes," the man nodded.

"I never thought I'd take up an offer like this," Jeanette stated while staring at the staff. "Normally, I wouldn't, but these…are just so elaborate."

Zoe watched as the two chipmunks selected their primary weapons. She reflected on that night when she was thrown off of that ship. She often wondered how her life would be different if she wasn't.


	5. A Night at the Warehouse

**Chapter 5: A Night at the Warehouse**

"We believe we have found the Vipers. Or, at least, one of their bases. We have been checking the area, and our sonar has detected some sort of hollowed out chamber behind the Hollywood sign. Why is it always the Hollywood sign? This is another one of life's enigmas," the robed man announced.

"Let's go gut them!" Alvin cheered. "I'm a go-gutter!"

"I'm not done!"

"Sorry."

"We are led to believe that it will be heavily guarded. Therefore, we will send our top stealth agents to investigate."

"Now, hold on," Brittany interrupted. "My sister is in there. I may be a newbie, but I'm going in!"

"Hey, shut up, diva!" one rodent booed.

"Step out of the spotlight for once!" another yelled.

"Stick to music! Spying is our thing!" a third rudely requested.

"I don't care what any of you say," Brittany claimed defiantly.

"Brittany," Jeanette whispered. This was getting ugly.

Two hamsters had climbed up a vegetable cart, picked up a cucumber, and threw it at Brittany, but missed, and it hit Simon square in the chest. He let out a blood curdling scream and doubled over in pain.

"I knew I'd regret bringing a vegetable cart," Zoe mumbled.

"Whoops," the hamsters simultaneously said.

"Oh, no! Simon!" Jeanette knelt down beside him.

"Leave this to me," a voice requested. Selena Gomez made an appearance at the warehouse. She pulled out a red stick. "Lose the stones, fix the bones."

The pain in Simon's chest immediately began to decrease. He could speak again without screaming in pain. "How did you do that?"

"And you thought _Wizards of Waverly Place _was the only place where that could happen," she simply said. "Right now, though, the supernatural is unimportant."

"Are you okay, Simon?" Jeanette asked. She had tears in her eyes.

"I'm fine, Jeanette," he answered hesitantly. Was it really magic? Like Selena said, it wasn't the current matter at hand.

"I hope you are. If anything happened to you, I'd—," she started, but she couldn't finish. She gave him a big squeeze of a hug instead. He hugged her back, assuring her that he was okay.

"Everything is okay. It's alright," he soothed. If she cried, it would cause him more pain than when he first broke his ribs and when he was hit with the cucumber combined.

"Now, then, about the mission," Brittany urged. She hoped Selena would get her out of this; that'd she see things her way.

"Now, it's not my place to decide who does what, but I do think that because their siblings are being held captive, the Chipmunks and Chipettes should go. Again, just an opinion," Selena spoke as if reading Brittany's mind.

"I will meet with our superiors to discuss this," the robed man announced. He felt for another room. The crowd dispersed, and Simon and Jeanette went up to Selena.

"W-was that really magic?" Simon stuttered in disbelief.

"I thought you might ask that. It's hard to explain, but magic and logic are two sides of the same coin," she explained.

"Thank you for healing me," he thanked.

"You're welcome."

"The man with the gray robes—he has a long name, so we just call him Master around here—I think he sees some kind of potential in you two," the sharpshooting ferret stated. He was carrying a tiny rifle. "They call me Sure Shot."

"I have been given permission to allow you all to sleep here!" Master announced.

Hours later, Simon, Jeanette, Alvin, and Brittany were all in a small bedroom. The boys were in a bunk bed (2 bunks) and the girls were in another bunk bed (also 2 bunks). Brittany zonked out, and Alvin pulled the covers over his head, not wanting to risk anyone hearing him tear up. Simon and Jeanette lay awake with a lot on their minds.

"Simon," Jeanette whispered.

"What is it, Jeanette?" he asked.

"Can…I sleep with you, just for tonight?"

"Um, sure…what's the reason?"

"I'm scared. I'm scared for my sister and your brother alike. And…you know I feel safer around you."

"Yes, I know," he recalled. About a week and a half ago, give or take, after she was cut with a scalpel, he was around her as much as he could be, and she said the same thing to him. He pushed the covers off of himself and invited her onto the bunk. She got up, walked over, and lied down next to him.

"Thank you," she said softly and snuggled up against him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. "I'm the luckiest Chipette in the world to have you."

"And _I_ am the luckiest Chipmunk in the world to have _you_," he replied. After a moment of silence, he asked, "You know Cheyenne and Mark are sleeping in the room next to us?"

"Yeah. It was nice of them to volunteer themselves to help us in saving Ellie and Theodore. They're not even related to them, and yet they still want to help."

"We're not only lucky to have each other, but them, too."

They quickly dozed off in each other's arms. The next morning, they woke up, still on the same bunk. Simon smiled at the sight of Jeanette's lavender eyes. They rubbed noses in a loving fashion.

"What are you two doing?" Brittany asked from her upper bunk of the other bunk bed.

"Well, I couldn't sleep, so—," Jeanette began to explain. Suddenly, something started ringing from under one of the beds. Brittany hopped down to the floor and pulled out the Viper phone. She activated a voice message.

"You have school off…for a while. Courtesy of the Vipers. By the way, Theodore and Eleanor are alive," the message played.

"I'm going to reply with a text," Brittany said. She began typing on the phone. She got a reply that said, 'that doesn't sound like someone who wants her alive. Scrub your cussing fingers with soap, or Ellie gets it.'

Jeanette looked at the text they just received, and then at the text her sister sent. "Brittany, I can't believe you put that in there! You put a curse word in there!"

"Well, you must have missed the other seven," Brittany responded.


	6. Alvin Loses His Cool

**Hi, everyone. Here's a short installment. Hope you like it. Remember to review. I'll be busy this weekend, so please be patient. **

**Chapter 6: Alvin Loses His Cool **

Simon sent a text apologizing for Brittany's foul language. In moments, a response was received, and it said, 'Given Simon's gentlemanliness, the fatsos live another day. But just so you know, they've become quite skittish. One hiss and they're on the ceiling. Hopefully, you're ready to do us some favors before their nerves are completely shot.'

"'Fatsos?' They're calling my sister fat? Give me the phone!" Brittany demanded. Now, she was really mad.

"No way!" Alvin got out from under his covers and yelled. "If it weren't for Simon, Theo could've been killed because of you!"

"He wasn't," she pointed out.

"Normally, I'd agree with that logic, but not today! We know what kind of people they are now, Britt! If we tick them off, we might as well kill our siblings ourselves! And I want my brother alive!" at this point, Alvin was in tears. "He's too young and innocent to die! He doesn't deserve that!"

"Aren't you being a little overdramatic?" Brittany defiantly asked.

By then, you could practically see fumes come out of Alvin's head. His fists were clenched. Tears stained the fur on his face. He gritted his teeth. Not giving her a bloody nose took all of his will and self-restraint, and then some. He was screaming at the top of his lungs, "OVERDRAMATIC? ELEANOR IS IN THE SAME SITUATION AS THEODORE! YOU COULD'VE ALMOST GOTTEN HER KILLED, TOO!"

"Hey, keep it down!" the voice of a rodent came from one of the walls.

"Seriously, Alvin, this is not the time," Simon urged. He and Jeanette shrank back; arms wrapped around each other.

"OUR BROTHER IS IN THE PRISON CELL OF SOME TRIGGER HAPPY MANIAC, AND YOU'RE DEFENDING THE GIRL WHO COULD'VE GOTTEN HIM BLOWN TO PIECES?" Alvin screeched.

"What? No! I just don't want you screaming at people at six in the morning!"

"I'LL SCREAM WHEN I WANT, BECAUSE I HAVE THE RIGHT!"

"What's going on in here?" Cheyenne barged in. Her hair and fur were a mess.

"THAT (expletive bleep. Sorry for the interruption) ALMOST GOT MY BROTHER AND HER OWN SISTER SHOT BY SENDING AN OFFENDING TEXT TO A TRIGGER HAPPY MANIAC!" Alvin explained; putting emphasis on the cuss word (that was bleeped out). He looked ready to pounce on Brittany from the top bunk.

"I can't watch!" Jeanette whimpered and buried his head in Simon's chest.

Alvin jumped from the bunk, slimly missed Brittany, but gave a powerful tug to her long hair. With her ponytail in his grasp, he kicked her in the back. She was on the floor. He yanked on the ponytail, bringing her head up with it.

Apparently, the girls' bunk bed was loosely put together. Brittany spotted a bolt on the ground and kicked it at the bunk bed. It collapsed, and metals parts crashed onto Alvin's tail. He yelped in pain, allowing her to slip free. He tried to pull his tail out, but it was truly stuck under the metal heap.

Brittany was preparing to swipe Alvin, but a sword flew by and surprised her, causing her to step back. They recognized the sword, for it was the one Simon claimed the day before. Simon said, "Stop it! We should be working on fighting the Vipers; not each other! Get your priorities straight and apologize!"

At first, everyone was shocked. Simon wasn't known for his temper. Regaining their senses, Alvin and Brittany realized he was right, and both said, "I'm sorry," at the same time. Brittany helped Alvin free his tail and he smoothed out her hair.

The Viper phone when off again. This time, it was a picture. It was a picture of Theodore and Eleanor. Theodore was staring intently at nothing with a frighteningly blank expression in his eyes. Eleanor was looking directly at the camera. The look on her face, it revealed the following emotions: upset, scared, tired, pleading. Her image broke both Brittany's and Jeanette's heart in the exact same second. Simon and Alvin looked at their brother in the picture.

The two Chipmunks exchanged glances and knew that Theodore was losing his will. He was beginning to lose hope that nothing could save him.

"Let me see," Cheyenne urged. Mark came in and also wanted to look at the phone. Cheyenne gasped at the picture.

"Those poor guys," Mark shook his head in pity and sorrow. He, like everyone else, felt sorry for them, given the situation they were in.

"They'll pay," Alvin vowed under his breath. "I'll make sure of it."

"Theodore…," Simon was practically speechless. He saw Jeanette was distraught and pulled her into a hug. "Oh, Jeanette, don't cry. We'll rescue them."

"Ellie, what are they doing to you?" Brittany asked the picture of Eleanor.


	7. A Tragic Sight

**Chapter 7: A Tragic Sight **

Jeanette and Simon were standing side by side. Jeanette's lavender eyes darted from one end of the room to the other. Simon pulled her close and rested his nose in her soft brunette hair. Alvin was checking out the weapon inventory, and Brittany was texting with the Viper phone. Cheyenne and Mark stood beside Simon and Jeanette. Everyone else was up, and Master looked like he had an announcement.

"I know that the situation is causing tension, but we must remain calm. No one is safe with this threat rising. Our staff will analyze the cellular device to see if our Hollywood Sign theory is correct. With luck, we can trace the messages back to the sender," he stated.

Jeanette looked at Simon with a concerned expression. "What do you think?"

"About what?" Simon asked.

"What do you think they did that could cancel school for so long."

"Nothing good," Simon answered. He kissed her head and reassured, "I won't let them hurt you. If they hurt you, I would never forgive myself."

"Oh, Simon, you're so sweet! Do you think we'll find Theo and Ellie?"

"Of course!"

The rest of the training day was actually pretty lazy. The rodent agents mostly talked about the Vipers, from "Do you think they really have burrowed under the Hollywood Sign?" to "Are they going to eat us?"

"So, what weapons did you choose?" Cheyenne asked Simon and Jeanette.

"I picked a sword," Simon answered.

"I picked a staff," Jeanette replied.

"I managed to get some nunchucks, and Mark wants a blowtorch," Cheyenne informed them. "So you slept in _the same bed_?"

"Cheyenne, we know what you're implying, and we know better than to do that at our age!" Jeanette objected.

"I'm just teasing! But seriously, you have—?"

"Okay, yes, we have been in the same bed, but only when Simon was in the hospital…and when I got scared last night and he offered me his comfort."

"Wow, Si, you know how to treat a lady!" Cheyenne exclaimed, still playfully teasing.

"Um, thanks?" Simon tried. He wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not.

"Dude! This place has a hidden stash of cheese balls somewhere! Help me look!" Alvin excitedly requested of Simon.

"No. You, my dear brother, have a cheese ball addiction," Simon told him.

"Yeah, I know," Alvin replied. "So are you in?"

"I just said 'no'," Simon insisted.

That night was similar to the previous night. Alvin had his head under the covers, Brittany was quick to doze off, and Jeanette couldn't sleep, so Simon invited her to sleep with him. This time, however, the Chipettes had taken out their hair ties, not that it made too much of a difference.

"Do you think your brother and my sister are okay?" Jeanette asked.

"I'm sure they're fine. Besides, they can take care of themselves and each other," Simon soothed. "I think you look cute with your hair like that."

"Thank you," Jeanette blushed underneath her fur. Without her hair tie, her hair flowed down the back of her head. "Simon, you're a handsome and thoughtful chipmunk, and I don't ever want you to leave me."

"I won't."

Meanwhile, in the Viper Base, Eleanor was trying to communicate with Theodore. She was worried about him. He just sat there against the wall with that perturbing, blank stare. He definitely was alive, but didn't seem like it. He was usually a sociable chipmunk on some levels.

"Theodore, please answer me!" Eleanor begged. "Theo, what's wrong?"

"They're not coming. No one is going to save us," Theodore said flatly. He retained his seemingly lifeless gaze.

"I'm sure they're coming! Don't say that, Theodore!" Eleanor insisted.

A monitor appeared on the wall. It showed a text message. The text said 'don't worry, Ellie, we're going to free you! –Britt'.

"See?" Eleanor insisted and gestured to the screen.

"What if it's fake?" Theodore asked flatly.

"What if it's real?"

"…There is no real here. We're going to die. There's no avoiding it."

"What happened to you, Theodore? Where's the light? Where's the cheeriness? Where's the real you? I haven't given up, and neither should you!" she cried. When he said nothing, she turned away. She thought there was no helping him. Theodore was gone.

"Ellie?" he suddenly called. She turned, and he smiled. "Thank you. You're right. We can't give up! We have to hold on!"

Back at the training site, Alvin, Brittany, Simon, and Jeanette were all asleep. In the next room, Cheyenne was quite awake, even with Mark sleeping. Something had kept her up. She had a massive headache. _It'll pass, _she kept telling herself. _It always does._ She had never told anyone, not even Mark, Jeanette, or Simon, but she thought she was psychic. Sometimes, she would have strange visions. She even won a bet on which school football team would win a game one time. She'd even predicted Alvin getting pummeled by the away team, which he was.

This was a strange vision. It was awful. It showed the same hospital Simon was in several days ago. He must've been in it again, because she saw Jeanette in tears, Brittany putting a reassuring hand on her shoulders, and Alvin tearing up magazines. She also saw herself, Mark, Dave, Claire, and her legal guardian, Mrs. Anna Grays. They were outside of a patient's bedroom.

"He'll be okay," Brittany reassured in the vision. She was speaking to Jeanette.

"Those stupid Vipers! Now, we're right back where we started!" Alvin griped.

"No. We have a lead, and we know the full capabilities of the enemy," Mark had responded.

"P-p-poor Simon! It's my fault!" Jeanette sobbed. Cheyenne (not the one in the vision, but the one having the vision) gasped when she saw what the Jeanette in the vision was holding: Simon's glasses.

"No, it's not. It's mine," Cheyenne (the one _in _the vision) stated.

The vision faded, and Cheyenne (the one who had the vision) was panting. She wanted to know more. What happened, or _will_ happen to Simon? Was it really her fault? If it was, how badly would this damage her friendship with Jeanette? Was this only a dream? Cheyenne hoped more than anything that it was. She hoped this vision was wrong. She thought of Jeanette and how heartbroken she looked. She thought of how angry Alvin looked tearing up those magazines. She tried to picture (not envision like a psychic, just normal imagery) Simon in a hospital bed. She tried to picture something worse than when he broke three of his ribs, but each time she tried, she felt like throwing up.

She looked at a digital clock in the room. It read three A.M. Only a few more hours to sleep. Only a few more hours to try and forget what she saw


	8. The Election Winner

**Chapter 8: The Election Winner**

Simon felt so at ease. He and Jeanette were in school, which was finally put back on. This day was the day where the class president was going to be decided. Brittany was one of the candidates, but her votes plummeted about a little over week earlier.

The day went by quick. Simon, Jeanette, Mark, and Cheyenne were already in the publications office, where they ate lunch. Simon smiled, "It's so great to be back."

Jeanette and Mark nodded in agreement, but Cheyenne seemed distant. Jeanette turned to her and asked, "Are you okay? Cheyenne, are you daydreaming?"

"What? Oh, I'm fine," she said quickly. "I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Hey, you guys," the editor-in-chief, Steven, greeted. "Simon, Jean, I heard about Theodore and Eleanor. I know because…I'm with the agency you guys were just recruited into."

"You are?" Simon asked.

"Yeah. It's called S.I.P. for short. They specialize in all kinds of agents, and apparently youths are the best option. In fact, I've heard about a band of either five or six agents, they're the best we have and they're 14 years old."

"14? Really?" Mark asked. He looked astonished.

"Yep. Anyways, we have to get ready for the presidential announcement. It'll be in the front yard of the school."

Later on, the principal of the school and the presidential candidates stood in front of the entire student body. Brittany, being a chipmunk, had to stand on an elevated surface to be seen by the students. She wasn't good at writing speeches, only speaking them, and because she was being spiteful towards Jeanette around the time she needed to write the speech, she had to write it herself. It was so short.

"Too bad your sister cut you with that scalpel," Cheyenne whispered to Jeanette.

"That's history now, especially given our current situation. I just feel bad. The only reason her votes dropped is because of our article about the incident in the paper," Jeanette replied in equal volume.

"And your new class president is…," the principal announced, "Olivia Hart!"

Jeanette saw her sister was suddenly distraught and disappointed. When the crowd began to part, she tried to approach her.

"Brittany?" Jeanette started to speak.

"Jeanette, for the first time since she was kidnapped, I'm glad Ellie isn't here," Brittany's voice cracked. She was trying hard not to sob.

"Why?"

"I'm glad she won't see me like this," she spoke and scampered into the building.

"How's she doing?" Cheyenne asked Jeanette when she caught up to her.

"She's taking the loss pretty hard."

"The only way she could take it harder is if we posted the final polls in the paper," Mark stated. "Or on that screen." He pointed to a TV monitor and it had the results on it.

Brittany Miller-97 votes. She had come in dead last, and there was no doubt that she already saw the monitor. They continued to walk on towards their next class when Simon tripped. Jeanette rushed to his aid. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thank you, Jeanette. It makes me feel pleasant inside knowing that you care," Simon answered and got up.

"Cheyenne?" Mark called out his girlfriend's name. She was in space again, and she looked really freaked out. "Cheyenne come on. We have to go to our next class!"

"What?" she was out of her trance.

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"…"

"Cheyenne!"

"…Sorry. I just had a really awful dream last night. No big deal."

"Um, Cheyenne, I think if you keep thinking about it all day and make those perturbed faces, it _is_ a big deal," Simon claimed.

"What was the dream about? You can tell us," Jeanette encouraged.

"…Nothing. It was stupid. Like I said, no big deal," Cheyenne protested. She seemed hesitant.

"If it's bothering you—," Jeanette began to insist.

"I'm afraid it's going to bother _you_!" Cheyenne exclaimed. "In it, you were miserable, Jeanette; heartbroken!"

"Why?" she asked, taken aback by what her friend said.

"I've said too much already."

"Will the _Eagle Tribune_ staff members please report to the auditorium," a voice asked over the P.A. system. "All _Eagle Tribune _staff members to the auditorium please."

The principal had a few suggestions for the staff, since the paper sales were through the roof lately. She requested things like "find out what's in the mystery meat" and "add a weather section" and to interview Olivia Hart, the new class president.

"We volunteer to examine the mystery meat!" Mark stood on his seat and raised Simon's hand.

"We do?" Simon asked.

No one else wanted the task, so Mark and Simon were stuck doing it. Cheyenne and Jeanette had volunteered to do the weather, but there was going to be a debate because a few others wanted the job. Simon had a look of dread in his eyes, wondering if Mark planned on going meat diving. He saw some of himself in Mark, but at times, his best friend was a lot like Alvin.


	9. Upcoming Mission

**Chapter 9: Upcoming Mission**

Nothing out of the ordinary happened for the rest of the day. Simon was still trying to figure out what Cheyenne was talking about. Why would her dream bother Jeanette? He, Jeanette, Alvin, and Brittany all got home.

"I just got news from your training site," Claire told them as they walked in, "you four are going on a mission to save Theodore and Eleanor."

"That's great!" Brittany cheered.

"I can't wait to kick Viper butt!" Alvin smiled and placed his fist in his palm.

"When are we going?" Simon asked. He was eager to try out his sword.

"We don't know yet. They'll tell us when they're sure," Claire stated. She had a concerned look in her eyes. She and Dave knew that the four chipmunks would face incredible danger. Zoe accompanying them didn't help much.

"But we are going?" Jeanette wanted to confirm.

"Yes."

The rest of the night was pretty quiet. Dave was working late, and with Theodore and Eleanor not there, the house was especially quiet.

Jeanette received a text from Cheyenne on her chipmunk sized basic phone, an Intensity II. A basic, no touch screen phone was what she had wanted. She liked complex things to train her mind, but when it comes to cellular devices, you tend to want something easy to use. Jeanette did. The text said: 'Hey. Sorry for acting strange today. Can I let you in on a secret?'

Jeanette texted back: 'Sure. What's up?'

In 30 seconds, she received a text from Cheyenne: 'I think I'm psychic. Do you remember when we were betting on that one football game and I guessed the outcome of the game so accurately?'

Jeanette sent: 'Yeah. The one Alvin got trampled on? I remember it.'

Another text from Cheyenne said: 'Do you believe me? You know that I could name lots of other times where stuff like this has happened and I predicted it.'

Jeanette responded by sending: 'You have no reason to lie, so yes, I believe you. Being psychic bothers you?'

Cheyenne answered by sending: 'No. My latest vision was awful! I was worried about how you'd react if I told you.'

Jeanette's thumbs flew across the keypad of her phone, typing: 'You can tell me. You're like the third sister I never had (excluding me, of course. I mean a grand total of four Chipettes). In other words, you're like the fourth Chipette I wish we had.'

She received a text from Cheyenne, and it said: 'I foresaw the hospital Simon was in. Alvin was incredibly angry; Brittany was trying to mend your seemingly broken heart. You were in tears, and you were holding Simon's glasses. You sobbed so much in that vision. I couldn't stand it! Alvin said that we were back at square one, so I think Simon will be hospitalized again. I am so sorry!'

Jeanette nearly dropped her phone. Simon was going to the hospital again? Unthinkable! Yet, Cheyenne was usually scary accurate, and now she knew why. She responded by slowly typing: 'You have nothing to be sorry for. What else did you see? Please, tell me. What was his condition?'

The fearful texts did not cease. Cheyenne sent: 'I don't know why he was hospitalized, but you kept claiming it was your fault and I insisted it was mine.'

Jeanette wrapped her mind around this. Simon was going to be hospitalized, no one knows why, and either she or her best friend caused it? What kind of madness was going on? She typed: 'Is that all?'

The response she got was: 'Yes.'

"Jeanette? Are you okay?" Simon's voice asked as he knocked on the bedroom door.

"I'm fine," she lied. She immediately wanted to make up for it, but wanted Cheyenne's consent. She texted: 'Should I tell him?"

She received from Cheyenne: 'Do what you want, but I don't know what will prevent what."

"Actually, Simon, could you come in here? I-I have some _potentially _bad news," Jeanette requested.

"Um, okay," Simon obliged and opened the door. He got up on Jeanette's bed, where she laid. "What's wrong?"

"Read this text conversation between Cheyenne and I. I think you're in danger," she told him. Her eyes were full of sadness, fear, and concern. She wrapped her arms around one of his.

After reading the texts over, he gasped, but said, "I can see why you're worried, but please don't. Jeanette, we have too much on our hands to worry about this."

"But Simon, I want to know you'll be okay," Jeanette protested. Simon leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. They broke the kiss, and Jeanette's lavender eyes suddenly filled with understanding. She wasn't totally reassured, but just enough to drop the subject.

"Simon and Jeanette, are you two in there?" Claire's voice asked as she knocked on the door.

"Yes," Simon answered.

"Okay, good. Then I guess I don't need to tell you that I want you in bed in a half hour. Good night."

"Good night," both the Chipmunk and Chipette said. They looked at each other and rubbed noses.

"Good night, Simon," Jeanette said to him.

"Good night, Jeanette," he said to her. He got into his own bed.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Alvin was watching a hockey game on TV. Brittany was reading a fashion magazine, and Claire was reading _Abe Lincoln: Vampire Slayer_. Dave walked in the door. He greeted, "Hey, guys. What's going on?"

"Hey, honey," Claire greeted, absorbed in the book she was reading.

"Did you hear they made that into a movie?"

"They did? We have got to see it!"

"Nothing interesting is going on, Dave," Brittany said. She looked up from her magazine because he was blocking the light. "Oh, yeah, the rescue mission is coming up."

Judging by her bored attitude that was hiding her sadness, Dave guessed that she lost the election, so he didn't bring it up. "Are you nervous?"

"Only for the team I'm rooting for. It's a tie game with not much time left! Come on! He's wide open! Pass the stinking puck to him!" Alvin yelled at the TV.

"Alvin, Simon and Jeanette are reading in bed or trying to sleep. Please keep it down," Claire requested.

"I thought you'd be watching football or baseball," Dave commented.

"Eh, I vary," Alvin simply responded.


	10. The Mission

**Chapter 10: The Mission**

School was canceled again due to a massive anaconda outbreak, which is probably what happened the first time. Simon, Jeanette, Alvin, and Brittany met up with Mark and Cheyenne at the training site. Most of the rodents that trained there, Zoe, and Selena would also be attending this mission.

The mission members all made it to the Hollywood Sign with no problem. Zoe lightly tapped her machete on each of the letters, looking for an entrance. She heard a hollow, metallic sound from behind on of the L's. In succession, she said, "Bingo." She tapped the machete a bit harder than the first time against the "L", and a hatch opened.

"Using the 'L' was clever of them. Normally, the secret places are behind the 'H'," Selena commented.

"Come on!" Alvin urged. He was about to enter when Zoe stopped him. She took a rock and tossed it in. It exploded.

"The place is trapped?" a guinea pig asked.

"There must be another way in," a mouse theorized.

"Hmm," Simon said and stepped on a bump on the ground. He picked a stone up with all his might and threw it through the hatch. No explosion.

"Great job, Simon. Let's go, everyone," Selena motioned.

Minutes later, the large group had broken up into teams of about six or seven. Simon, Jeanette, Brittany, Alvin, Cheyenne, Mark, and Zoe were a team. This was good, because the Viper base was a steel labyrinth.

"Our part of the mission is to find Theodore and Eleanor and go. No sideshows," Zoe reminded them. No one said a word.

"Something's not right," Mark realized. "We haven't seen any Viper agents so far."

"And that's a _good_ thing," Alvin said.

"Not entirely. We could be walking into a trap."

"We don't know what's ahead, so we should keep going," Brittany continued down a hall. Both her head and tail were held high.

"Yeah, you strut, Britt!" Alvin cheered. Brittany seemed to think that Alvin was being one of the words that she sent to the Vipers in a text a few days prior.

"Stop!" Zoe abruptly halted and requested the six chipmunks did the same.

"What is it?" Jeanette asked.

"Do you hear that?"

Sure enough, there was a hissing sound coming from around the corner. It was either a propane leak or snakes. They were betting on the second one. "Well, well, well, a base-wide buffet, and I get first bite," a snake hissed as it slithered around the corner. The voice was masculine. "I am Hernando. It's wonderful to meet you, food."

"Uh, we haven't even introduced ourselves yet," Cheyenne pointed out.

"Maybe you, Mark, and Zoe need to do that, but _we _are super famous," Alvin bragged and gestured to his brother, Jeanette, and Brittany, as well as himself.

"Zoe? Why does that name sound so familiar?" Hernando tried to recall. "Ah, the heck with it."

"You better stay back," Simon warned. He had his sword drawn and a protective arm wrapped around Jeanette. Jeanette had taken out her retractable staff, but did not activate it.

"Ho-ho! You think that toothpick can harm me?"

"Man, I wish I had a flute right now! He'd be so charmed," Zoe exclaimed.

"You've handled being stranded on an island, neurotoxin, and who knows what else, but you need a flute for a snake?" Alvin demanded.

"I'm sure he's harmless."

"Hello! Zoe, he's part of the organization that threw you off a boat all those years ago!"

"Zoe…I remember now! How has your little treasure hunt been?" Hernando asked slyly.

"Scratch what I said about being harmless! No one sasses me!" Zoe shouted.

"I have a feeling this will go downhill," Cheyenne stated.

"And given that you are almost never wrong…RUN!" Mark decided. The chipmunks ran past Hernando. This distracted the serpent, which gave Zoe time to throw him down the hallway. The seven of them ran in the opposite direction Zoe threw Hernando.

"Now that I think about it, didn't you say you were on a plane?" Alvin asked as they ran.

"I was also bitten by toxic spiders that messed with my head. You couldn't trust half the things that came out of my mouth," Zoe explained.

"Where do they keep their prisoners? We can't just wander like this forever," Brittany pointed out. She seemed to be getting tired.

"That is why I have a map of the place," Zoe said and held up a folded piece of paper.

"Where did you get a map?" Simon asked.

"They have them all over the place."

"You're kidding, right?" Alvin asked.

"No," Zoe shook her head and unfolded the map. "It's around this next corner…"

"That's great!" Jeanette exclaimed.

"…and turn left…"

"Simple enough," Mark nodded in approval.

"…and then we go down a spiral staircase."

"What kind of evil organization are they?" Alvin asked rhetorically.

The followed the deranged directions the map had given them. Eventually, they did reach a hall full of doors. A guard with a walkman and a tray of green slop went up to a door and shoved the tray through a slot in the door. "There you go fat rats."

He didn't notice them because he was too busy listening to his walkman. With the use of pressure points and the wall, Zoe knocked him out. Mark began to climb along the wall. He reached the door that the guard slid the slop through and took out his blowtorch. He melted the lock and the door slid open.

The team found the green slop growling at Eleanor and Theodore as they cowered in a corner.

"Theo!" Alvin and Simon exclaimed.

"Ellie!" Brittany and Jeanette exclaimed.

"You did come," Theodore gasped in amazement.

"Yay! We can finally get out of here!" Eleanor cheered. She noticed Zoe and asked, "What is she doing here?"

"It's a long story. Let's just go," Brittany suggested and hugged her sister.

"How disappointing. Our house guests can't stay?" Hernando hissed from behind them. Slithering at his side was a hoard of snakes. Human men in black suits erupted into the hallway.

"We meet again, children," a man said. The chipmunks (excluding Cheyenne and Mark) recognized that voice. It was Theodore and Eleanor's kidnapper. "You should not have come here. This adventure of yours will change nothing."

A boa constrictor wrapped itself around Theodore and Eleanor.

"Can't…breathe," one of them wheezed.

"Stop! You're hurting them!" Brittany shrieked.

"Guys, we have trouble," Selena's voice rang from Zoe's communicator.

"What is it?" Zoe asked.

"We all have ten minutes to get out of here. They're going to flood the place!"

"You won't make it out," a snake hissed. Hernando and Eleanor and Theodore's kidnapper lunged at Jeanette and Cheyenne. Simon reacted as fast as lightning, pushed them out of the way, and blacked out.

"SIMON!" Jeanette screamed, which was the last thing he heard.


	11. Back in the Hospital

**Chapter 11: Back at the Hospital**

The scene was just like Cheyenne's vision. She, Mark, Alvin, Brittany, Jeanette, Dave, Claire, and Mrs. Grays were there. Jeanette was sobbing on a couch outside a hospital room. Brittany had her arm around her sister's shoulder, trying to comfort her. Alvin was tearing a magazine up.

"He'll be okay," Brittany reassured.

"Those stupid Vipers! Now, we're right back where we started!" Alvin griped.

"No. We have a lead, and we know the full capabilities of the enemy," Mark had responded.

"P-p-poor Simon! It's my fault!" Jeanette sobbed. She was holding Simon's glasses in her paws.

"No, it's mine," Cheyenne objected.

"Look, it's no one's fault," Dave said.

"He's right. It's everyone's fault," Alvin dramatically claimed.

"Alvin…"

"Dave, look at where we are! Simon's back here again, and we failed to rescue Eleanor and Theodore!"

"That doesn't make it anyone's fault, Alvin!"

"Can we all please just calm down?" Claire begged.

"Hello, everyone," a doctor greeted.

"Is he going to be okay?" Jeanette asked through her sobs.

"I have good news and bad news…"

"Oh, no!" Jeanette began to cry again.

"The good news is that there were no complications," the doctor informed them.

"What's the bad news?" Claire asked.

"He'll be in a coma for some time."

Jeanette scampered behind him and into Simon's hospital room. She found his motionless body on the bed and climbed up onto it. She cuddled next to him, with him under the covers and her on top of them, and repeatedly and tearfully whimpered, "Simon…Simon…Simon…"

"I can't believe my brother is in a coma," Alvin gasped.

"Alvin…," Brittany attempted to soothe him.

"Simon…why did this happen?" Mark asked. His voice, however, was nearly inaudible.

Cheyenne remained silent. She couldn't face any of them. Not after she foresaw the very scene she stood in. Then, she remembered that Jeanette had showed Simon those text messages. That still didn't save him. A distraught atmosphere lingered over the room. The only sound in the room was Jeanette whimpering Simon's name, as if that was the only word she knew. Other than standing and staring at either the floor or Simon's still body, everyone did absolutely nothing.

"Hi, everyone," a voice glumly greeted. Selena Gomez stood in the doorway.

"Did everyone make it out of the flood?" Brittany asked; hoping good news would lift the mood.

"Not everyone. We lost 25% of our rodent agents. Others aren't taking the trauma too well," Selena reported sadly. There were a few gasps, as Brittany, Claire, Mark, and Mrs. Grays were wide-eyed. "How's Simon."

"You know, compared to the rodent agents that lost their lives, I'd say he's pretty lucky," Dave looked at the bright side. "He's in a coma."

Selena knelt down next to Alvin, who had his back turned to everyone. She asked, "What's wrong, Alvin?"

"What the heck do you think?" he muttered, "The mission ended in failure, lives were lost, the Vipers got away, and I feel…alone."

"Sometimes in the face of failure, we have to keep our heads held high," another voice preached. Zoe was now in the doorway. She was trying to manage a smile for everyone else's sake. "We can't change the past, but we can make up for it in the future. We can make things right when we next face them."

This caused a stir in the mood, as everyone was beginning to realize that.

"Simon, if you can hear me," Jeanette's shaky voice whispered, "I want you to know that I love you so much. Don't die on me. I could never live without you. I won't leave you, so don't leave me."

"Don't you know a spell or something that could wake him up?" Brittany asked Selena.

"A wizard I know once told me that using magic on someone in a comatose state is…tricky," Selena answered, "Especially if only one wizard is casting the spell. Zoe?"

"Sorry. I'm solely a combat wizard," Zoe declared.

"You're a wizard, too?" Alvin asked her.

"Almost anyone has the potential."

"Was the flood the reason why you couldn't rescue Theodore and Eleanor?" Mrs. Grays finally asked.

"Partially. They were being squeezed by a boa constrictor. Everything just happened at once, but they are still alive. I watched them get away, and with great emotional pain, I might add," Zoe reported.

"Simon…," Jeanette sniffled. She unfolded his glasses and put them on him. Then, she took out her retractable staff and looked at it with regret and sorrow. "I was too weak to save him! I didn't use this when I had the chance! I was too afraid! It's my fault he's in this mess! My fault my sister is still in their clutches! My fault so many deaths happened on that mission! IT'S MY FAULT!"

"Jeanette!" Alvin shouted and gripped her shoulders. "Pull yourself together!" was what he said through her wailing. At that point, tears rolled down his cheek. "We have to stay strong! If the roles were reversed, Simon wouldn't lose his head! He'd find a way to avenge the losses! If he was awake right now, he wouldn't be crying like a newborn baby at a rock concert!"

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" she demanded. She could barely understandably say the words. Her breathing was shaky from her intense sobbing.

"You guys, stop!" Brittany cut in. She freed Jeanette from Alvin's grip. "Why are we screaming at each other? We should be taking this time to calm down and think things through."

"Now you sound like my brother!" Alvin began crying like _he _was a newborn baby.

"Why do you torture us?" Jeanette asked as she cuddled up against Simon's dormant body.

"Smooth," Cheyenne sarcastically said to Brittany. "Now your sister _and _your boyfriend have sprung a leak."

"If now was a time for comic relief, I'd probably say 'burn'," Mark stated.

"Who were some of those that…died?" Brittany ignored them and asked Selena.

"I'm afraid that Sure Shot was one. Hazel, the soft-spoken squirrel you met once, also drowned," Selena swallowed. "The poor souls."

"What did you mean when you said 'we have a lead'?" Cheyenne asked Mark.

"Zoe?" Mark looked at the owner of the name he said. Zoe held up a flash drive for everyone to see.

"At least one good thing came from that mess up—I mean mission," Zoe cheered.

"What's on it?" Claire asked.

"Only everything and his uncle."

"Do you want me to take it to the training site to get it analyzed?" Selena offered.

"No, thanks."

"Oh, Simon, please wake up soon," Jeanette begged. She snuggled as close as she could to him.

"Claire, Dave, can we please stay here?" Alvin got on his knees and begged them.

"Um, I don't know…," Dave hesitated.

"If you want, I could stay with Alvin and Jeanette and you could take Brittany home," Claire offered.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Dave asked.

"Not in the slightest. You know, they're my kids, too."

"…Okay."

"Thank you so much!" Alvin was so happy he nearly hit the ceiling (and for one his size, that's a _lot _of happiness).

"Simon," Jeanette sighed and kissed his nose. She lied down next to him and drifted off to sleep.

**(A/N: I know some of you don't really like cliffhangers, but I only use them when I'm going to make a sequel. That's right; there will be a third fiction of this series! Can't wait? Me neither! I even have a title ahead of time: Jeanette's Greif. Thank you all for your reviews, etc.) **


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